The Power of 9

After a lot of planning and dreaming and talking, I am SUPER excited to write this post and let you know about a new project we’ve got going on. So this is one part announcement, one part product preview, and one part CALL FOR ENTRIES. Please read on for the deets…

First, the background: Title IX, the mother of all enactments in the realm of women’s sports, is turning forty next year (1972-2012). Yep, she’ s entering the masters category and she’s still kicking serious butt. Consider the stats*:

- The number of high school girls competing in sports prior to Title IX: 1 in 27 - The number of high school girls competing in sports today: 1 in 2.5 - There are 3,714 more women's teams on college campuses than in 1972 - The number of female college athletes in 1972: 32,000 - The number of female college athletes today: 164,998

So…In celebration of the big four-oh, we’re partnering with our friends at Title Nine to produce a collection of six graphic tees that will honor forty years of progress. Missy Park, Founder of Title Nine, who I’ve had the good fortune of getting to know recently, put it best: “This enactment brought a whole generation of girls and women off the sidelines and onto the playing fields. With a confidence born on sport teams across America, women began a movement into boardrooms, war rooms and courtrooms that continues to this day. And THAT is something worth celebrating.”

Who will design the tees? This is where you come in! We’re looking to work with six top-level women graphic designers. We have some names in mind, but we also wanted to open it up to our respective communities, as we know that there is an amazing talent pool among you. In the spirit of full disclosure, the compensation to the chosen designers will be the benefits of high profile exposure and being a part of a shared movement (i.e., we ask that the designs be provided pro bono, but “winning” comes with a boat load of benefits – as we intend to put a spotlight on the individual designers, online and in stores, to highlight their work, as well as have each tee “signed by the artist”).

Got the skills and interest? We’d love to hear from you. If you or someone you know is interested in submitting a design, please email me at powerof9@oiselle.com and I will send you the creative brief. Thank you!

Deadline for inquiries: Friday, September 2, 2011

*Note: Title Nine will also be opening this competition up to their community. So check their website, Facebook page, etc., for information within the coming weeks.